I thought the discussion about cats vs dogs was getting too far off topic on the other thread about the Fila. We got to talking about whether or not cats are more independent or if they were easier to care for. So....I started this one. I found a couple of articles I found interesting about cats and dogs.

If you've had or have cats and dogs, what do you find to be easier to take care of? Of course, some of that probably depends on how solitary your cat is. Some are decidedly more sociable than others. I have had both cats and dogs and although my cats were all very sociable and very much a part of our family, I still found them to not be as dependent as my dogs and a little easier in many ways to care for than the dogs.

And your replies don't have to be only about which is easier. You could also include differences you like or dislike about dogs and cats. Or you can talk about anything dogs and cats.

If the debate over cat vs. dog intelligence seems better articulated by cat owners, there's a reason: Cat owners are more likely to have university degrees than dog owners, according to researchers at the University of Bristol.
Jane Murray, who led the study, said the association is likely due to the fact that degree holders tend to work long hours, which limits the time they have available for pet care. Cats are less needy than dogs, she noted, content to snooze away the day on a sunny windowsill while their owners toil behind office desks.
Vicki Myron, who wrote "Dewey, The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World," holds her cat Page in this image.
Cat brain: The future of computing?

technewsdaily.com
Computer engineer Wei Lu at the University of Michigan is hard at work developing the computer of the future. He hopes to make it as smart as a cat.
"The cat brain sets a realistic goal because it is much simpler than a human brain but still extremely difficult to replicate in complexity and efficiency," he has said.
His work is based on devices he calls “memristors” that remember the past voltages it was they were exposed to and functions like a biological synapse, which connect brain cells or neurons together.
Cat earns high school diploma

Michael Nagle / Getty Images
Jay Jay, the Iams-trained show cat illustrating his computer skills in this image, might want take a lesson from Oreo C. Collins, a cat from Macon, Ga., who successfully earned a "high school diploma" from Jefferson High School Online.
Oreo's owner, Kelvin Collins, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Central Georgia, admits he might have helped the cat take the test and write the life-experience essay required for graduation, but said Oreo was on his lap the whole time.
"Oreo's a really smart cat," Collins said in a telephone interview with msnbc.com reporter Helen A.S. Popkin last summer. His intellectual achievement, however, is meant to highlight fraud in online degree programs. A real General Educational Development (GED) diploma requires in-person test taking.
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Cats and dogs can get along

Joan Baron / AP file
Cats and dogs really can get along to the point that they'll play hard together, drink water from the same bowl, and cuddle on the couch, according to research led by Joseph Terkel at Tel Aviv University. The recipe for success, he found, is to adopt the cat first and introduce a dog while both pets are still young.
In homes where the cat and dog are mates, the research suggests they've managed to correctly read each other's body cues. A cat's thrashing tail, for example, signifies anger. Happy dogs wag their tails.
"We found that cats and dogs are learning how to talk each other's language," Terkel said. "It was a surprise that cats can learn how to talk 'Dog' and vice versa."

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By far I think cats are easier. Granted I don't have my own but grew up with two, and also have two at my dads place where I spend a lot of my nights/time. Sure, they can be annoying too... the female cat, Patience, is very attention-needing so she'll often screech or meow when she wants some lovin' (but can't come downstairs because of the dogs) or if she's hungry. But overall: they don't cost as much (most of the time), they don't need to be let outside to do their business (in rain, freezing weather, snow, and everything in between), they don't need "exercise" like a dog does, if you can't get home for a night, you don't have to worry so much about it.

That's not to say cats should just be wall ornaments either. Our cats are well loved members of the family, but not to the extent that the dogs are. They get fed properly, we make an effort to go upstairs and play with them every day, they enjoy watching us from above in the loft, we throw them treats, they interact with us, etc. But they are a LOT less work. Cats are also easier to find sitters for... because you usually just need to someone to pop in every few days if gone for long periods, and if gone for a few nights, they'll do fine on their own so long as they have enough food and water and litter boxes.

My main reason for not owning a cat: I'm just not a huge cat person. I don't like litter boxes. The shedding. And uncertainly if my dog would be okay living with a cat permanently.

I have to wake up early and take my dogs out and play with them and get as much exercise in as possible since they'll be cooped up all day while I'm at work. I have to either go home on my lunch break or rush home after work because I work long hours. Even when I'm sick, I have to get up and take the dogs out. I put in tons of training hours to make sure they're well-behaved. I could go on, but this is Chaz. We all know what we do for our dogs.

Cats... I HATE scooping litter boxes. But it takes all of five seconds to do if you do it regularly. And if you don't have time to do it before you leave for work, that's okay. You can just wait until later when you do have time. You have to stay late at work? No problem. They have a litter box, so it's no rush. You're not feeling well? No problem. If they absolutely need exercise right that moment, you can break out some cat toys and do it without really exerting yourself. With some rare exceptions, they don't really need much training to make good pets. Yeah, kittens can get themselves into trouble. But that's the way of all babies.

Food costs? I guess that depends on the size of the dog. Boone eats 3lbs/day. My cats eat about 14oz/day between them. But I know there are smaller dogs that don't need to eat much either. Vet costs? Barring some serious health issues popping up, cats will run you less money, IME.

I'm sticking with my "ask on a dog forum, you'll get that dogs are harder, ask on a cat forum, you'll get that cats are harder". Why? Because dog people do more with their dogs than with their cats. Cat people do more with their cats. It's a matter of preference. Yah, a dog that is used to seeing you every ___ hours you have to rush home for, rush out at lunch for, etc. I know many dogs whose owners do NOT rush home, and they are absolutely fine and happy. The more you do with your dog, the more the dog needs. The more you do with your cat, the more the cat needs. My aunts cats would be miserable if they had to be alone more than 3 hours or so. It's how they are, because it's what they are used to. Patterns. Oh god, they would absolutely die of loneliness if you figured you'd leave them for a few days.

I pay the same price/bag of cat food as I do dog food, maybe a bit more. The only difference is, if I had cats, I would personally have to supplement.

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I should add that when I say I need to rush home, it's to let them out to use the bathroom. You work long hours, you do need to get home to let them out. I guess some people are okay making them hold it... I'm not. To each their own, I guess.

My honest opinion? It's a pretty close call, but I think a dog IS a bit more time consuming and needy in general. Litter boxes? Scooping yard or kennel equals that.

Too many people think all you need teach a cat is how to use a litter box and you're done. I think that's a cop out in cat ownership....JMO of course. But dogs still REQUIRE (not just want) more of your daily time.

Bandit is by far who I consider easier. Why? I find we mesh better than the cat and I. I go out of my way to be a good pet owner to Brobee. Bandit? Not so much. I like going on walks. I feed him quickly in the morning when I eat. Done. The only time I find him a pain is when I am stuck somewhere and he obviously will need to be let out and even then its one phone call to my landlord and its taken care of.

My cat is rude. He is obnoxious. He is up in your face. I'm allergic to him. He takes nasty poops and his entire litter box needs to be changed daily. He is more expensive to feed as he is not an easy keeper and Bandit is. He gets into things he shouldn't and makes huge messes. At the end of the day though, he's worth it. He supplies endless laughter in this house hold. He's my clown and Bandit is a total wallflower.

Around here everyone will agree with me. Bandit is easier than Brobee. A cat who had Bandit's personality would win the easy factor because it could poop inside though.